A Hyderabad-based workers’ union demanded separate compensation from online delivery platform Swiggy and the customer for the delivery executive who died on Saturday, 14 January after jumping from the third floor of a building because he feared for his life.
The deceased was identified as 23-year-old Mohammad Rizwan, who succumbed to his injuries at the Nizam’s Institute Of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad around 7 pm on Saturday.
He was reportedly attacked by the customer’s pet dog on 11 January, when he went to deliver a parcel at the Lumbini Rock Castle apartment building in Banjara Hills.
“As per the Workmen Compensation Act, the family should get a compensation of 40 percent wage multiplied by the age of Rizwan. Swiggy claims his salary was ₹25,000 per month. So, as per the calculations, the compensation amount should be around ₹22 lakh,” Shaikh Salauddin, president of the Hyderabad-based Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, told South First.
He added that the dog’s owner — Sai K Shobana — should also give the same amount.
We @TGPWU demand The Workmen Compensation Act stipulates amount of compensation as 40% of wage multiplied by the relevant age factor, which according to @Swiggy and Pet Owner Both claims of Rs.25000 per month earnings will be Rs. 21,99,500
See: https://t.co/TiTR8BoVQK… https://t.co/eGGZj5YOA2 pic.twitter.com/xuWegv6gSi
— Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (@TGPWU) January 15, 2023
The Banjara Hills police initially registered a case against Shobana under IPC Sections 336 (rash or negligent act endangering human life or personal safety) and 289 (negligent conduct with respect to an animal in possession).
“But now that the victim has died, we will change the sections of the case once the post-mortem is completed,” Banjara Hills SHO M Narender told South First.
Fall from 3rd floor
On Wednesday night, when Rizwan went to deliver a parcel at the Banjara Hills apartment, a German Shepherd dog came barking and charged towards him when he knocked at the customer’s door.
As per the CCTV footage, Rizwan jumped onto the handrailing out of fear and in a bid to escape from the dog. But he slipped and fell to the ground floor.
The customer, Shobana, then called an ambulance and Rizwan was rushed to the NIMS.
“The doctors said that he sustained grievous injuries on his head due to which there was blood-clotting,” his brother Mohammad Imran told South First.
A resident of Sriram Nagar in the city’s Yousufguda area, he was the second-youngest of five brothers and lost his mother five years ago.
“We want justice for my brother, who is no more,” Imran said.
As per reports, a relative of Rizwan alleged that Shobana, the customer who earlier said she would pay the hospital bills, had been elusive.
The relative added that there had been no response from her end and she was avoiding calls.
‘Social security code for workers pending’
Salauddin appealed to the Union and state governments to implement the code on social security for gig and platform workers, which was enacted by Parliament in 2020 under then introduced new labour codes.
For the first time in India, gig and platform workers were identified as occupational categories.
The code would provide social security benefits under accidental insurance, life and disability cover, old age protection, health and maternity benefits, creche and other benefits the government decided.
However, Salauddin alleged that no social security board was formed over the past two years.
“So many young gig and platform workers are dying these days. Through this social security code, the process of compensation would become easier as the board would look into it and that 1 or 2 percent of these companies’ annual turnover would be put away as a fund for the welfare of workers,” he explained
He added that without any social security board, the aggregators were also escaping their responsibility.
Reflecting on the recent incident, Salauddhin observed that it was the owner’s responsibility to keep a check on their pets.
“When delivery executives come, the owner should tie up their pets no matter how much they are trained. In the end, they are animals and are unpredictable in front of a new person,” he said.
